Let it Flow

UNCLEAR MARKETING MESSAGE
Two years ago I quit my corporate job to start my business. I started with what I knew - personal training and yoga. As a result, I was branded in my networking circles as the personal trainer and yoga instructor. I was so much more than that.

With every event I attended and every 30 second elevator pitch I spoke, I struggled to get my message across. I used different words, changed the message, I constantly told people “no, I don’t do that anymore”. People stopped calling me a personal trainer, but they still didn’t know what I did.

In December I started to really imagine what I wanted 2008 to look like for my business. I took into account what I enjoyed doing, what I’m good at and what made good business sense. I talked, wrote, and thought about it constantly. No matter how I put words together, I still didn’t have a message I was comfortable saying.

FINALLY, IT MAKES SENSE
Last Thursday it all fell into place. I was scheduled to give a 10 minute presentation about my business at a networking event. I sketched a very quick outline of what I would say.

I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare, so I didn’t think about it that much. I simply outlined an intro, 3 talking points and a conclusion. Little did I know my three talking points would be the light bulb I needed to find my focus.

That presentation went well and took me a step closer to clarity. I had one more meeting to attend and we were to give our 30 second introductions. Without even thinking about it, the words easily fell off my lips. The response: “That was really clear - you definitely know your business.” One of the attendees, who was familiar with my messaging struggles looked at me and said: “WOW! Did you write that down? That was so natural.”

I even shocked myself. Finally, my message made sense.

THE ROAD TO FOCUS.
The road was long and while I’m clear today, tomorrow may bring something new. So I stay flexible. Thinking back, here is what worked for me.

• Talk it through- I got the words out to the public. Whether it made sense or not, talking it provided me with feedback. Talking it made me hear it and I’d realize it just didn’t make senses. It kept me motivated to continue working on it.
• Take a break - I started to take conscious breaks. As an entrepreneur I often find myself obsessing over all that needs to get done. Towards the end of last year I was losing my yoga and meditation practice and I was getting stuck at my computer. Once I allowed myself time to NOT think about it, I found that I was still thinking about it but with more clarity because I was no longer forcing the issue.
• Carry a notebook - I now keep a small notebook in my laptop case, my business bag, and my purse. I found that ideas would come to me at the oddest times and I never had any way to record them. These notebooks allow ideas to come out of my head so that I can keep focused on tasks at hand.
• Keep it to three’s - I think what finally made sense for me was grouping my services into 3 categories. 1) speaking and corporate training, 2) Personal and group wellness and 3) Media - blog, podcasts, TV Show (products coming soon). Three’s are easy for other’s to comprehend without overwhelming them.

I knew that 2008 was going to be a good year, and now that I have this focus, I’m convinced it’s going to be a great year.

Tags: Entrepreneurship //